Mailbox



Dec. 23, 1941. J. D. BEGGS MAILBOX I Filed 090 17, 1940 Patented Dec. 23, 1941 UNETED STATES PATENT DFFICE MAIISBOX James D. Beggs, Orlando, Fla. Application December 17, 1940, Serial'No. 370,542

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements inmail boxes and, with regard to its more specific aspects, to a mail box having features especially adapting it to rural use.

Among the objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a rural mail box of novel and improved construction; the provision of a rural mail box which is designed and constructed to exclude rain and snow, which thereby otters a high degree of protection to the contents of the box; the provision of a rural mail box having an improved door construction by which mail can be inserted into the box in simple manner; the provision of a door assembly for'rural mail boxes including an outer or main door and an inner auxiliary door, said outer and inner doors-being organized for independent movement as well as for movement in unison as desired; the provision of an improved door assembly for mail boxes employing independently movable inner and outer doors in which the inner door can be swung inwardly of the outer door, thus to permit insertion of mail in the box, with the inner door always returning to its closed position; the provision of a rural mail box equipped with improved signaling means; the provision of a rural mail box provided with a signal which can be readily set in signaling position by either the postman or the box owner, thus to signal to the other that the box contains mail to be collected and which is automatically returned to its nonsignaling position upon collection having been eiiected; and the provision of a rural mail box which is provided with a signal flag cooperatively related to the latching means with which the box is conventionally provided for release by the latter.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out in connectionwith the following analysis of this invention wherein is illustrated an embodiment of the invention in detail.

In the drawing-- Fig. 1 is a part perspective view of a mail box in accordance with the present invention, with the door illustrated in its closed position, and with the signal flag in its raised or signaling position;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken through the box illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 33 of Fig. 2, illustrating the signaling and non-signaling positions of the flag;

Fig. 4 is a section along line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Figs, 5 and 6 are detail views to illustrate various features of construction of themail box shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail wherein like reference characters designate like parts through the several views, reference character lfldesignates the body of a mail box as constituted by a crowned sheet forming the sides and top of the box, with which is associated a bottom it in conventional manner. The relatively rear end of the box (not shown) is permanently closed, the relatively forward end of the box being open and adapted to be closed by the door assembly of the present invention as will be described.

As distinguished from prior boxes in which the crowned sheet H! at its front end terminates in a vertical plane, the box of the present invention contemplates a crowned sheet which is so extended at its forward end, either by an integral extension or by a separate extension piece ltla, as to provide an overhanging open end disposed in a plane which is inclined about 20 from the vertical.

The inclined front end of the box is adapted to be closed by a door assembly including a main door- I5 which is pivoted to the box at the lower front corner thereof as by hinge pins I6, and an inner flap-type door ll pivotally carried by the main door and adapted to close a substantially rectangular opening l8 formed therein. Thus, referring to Fig. 2, the main door in its box closing position is inclined to the vertical, being disposed in a plane corresponding to the plane of the open end of the box. It will be appreciated that by such arrangement, the main door; I5 is biased for opening or clockwise movement about the. axis of the door hinge l6.

On the other hand the inner or flap-type door H, which is pivotally mounted on themain door by a hinge pin 29 disposed above the door opening I 8, is biased by its weight to close against the inner face of the main door. Due to the tendency of the inner door to move to the vertical, the inner door remains closed under all normal conditions, and this tendency of the inner door I! to stay closed may be augmented as desired by weights (not shown) disposed on and secured to an inwardly directed lip 22 (Fig. 6) formed along the lower door edge. The inner door I! may be opened inwardly by applying pressure to its lower portion whereby mail can be inserted in the box through the door opening I8 without requiring that the main door It be moved to open position.

For ease in opening the main door l5, the latter is provided with an angled pull 25 preferably disposed intermediate the top edge of the door and the upper edge of the door opening l8, said pull having a forwardly extending leg terminating in a hooked end as illustrated.

Normally the outer door is maintained in its closed position by a latch member 26 pivotally secured to the box top by a pin 21 extending transversely of the box. The latch member extends beyond the box end and is provided with a downwardly turned latch hook 26a which is adapted to engage over the top edge of the main door and extending forwardly therefrom a hook portion 262) which is adapted to overlie the for-.

wardly extending leg of the door pull 25. When it is desired to open the box to remove the contents thereof latch element 26 is swung about the axis of pin 21 to its dotted line position (Fig. 2) whereupon, by gripping the door pull 25, the door may be swung to open position.

The invention further contemplates an improved signaling means by which the owner of the box or the postman may signal to the other that the box contains mail to be collected. To this end signaling means are provided, such including a flag 30 which may be painted with a significant color such as red, the flag being mounted for turning movement about the axis of a hinge pin 32 carried by the box along its top portion from a non-signaling position as indicated in dotted lines (Fig. 3) to a signaling position as indicated in full lines (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). It will be here noted that the turning axis of the flag is parallel to t .e longitudinal axis of the box, and that in its non-signalling position the flag is disposed sidewardly of the box.

In order that the flag, following its setting in signaling position, may be held in that position until the contents of the box have been collected, the flag is provided with a horizontally extending finger 34 having a hooked end 35. Said finger is adapted for cooperation with a rearwardly extending tongue 31 carried by the latch element 26, said tongue 31 being upwardly offset from the latch member and movable therewith. The arrangement is such that latch tongue 31, following positioning of the flag in its signaling position, is adapted to be engaged by the hooked end 35 of the finger 34, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, thereby to maintain the flag in its raised or signaling position. Upon movement of r the latch to unlatching position, as indicated in dotted lines Fig. 2, the latch tongue 3'! moves away from the hooked end 35 of the finger 34, and the flag thereupon lowers by gravity to its dotted line position as indicated in Fig. 3. It will be seen, therefore, that the present invention provides means for maintaining the flag in raised signaling position, as well as for automatically effecting return of the flag to its non-signaling position upon opening of the main door l5 by either the postman or the box owner.

Under some conditions, the owner may desire to maintain a locked box, and to this end the extension 26b of the latch as well as the door pull 25 are each provided with an opening as indicated at 40 (Fig. 1), said openings being in substantial registry when the door is latched in closed position. Said parts thus provide a hasp with which a padlock 4| may be engaged, and when so locked the door can be opened only by a key fitting the padlock.

Under other conditions of use, a box owner may desire to maintain the inner door I! permanently closed, and the invention further provides means for securing the inner door to the main door whereby such doors are operated in unison. Thus, by reference to Figs. 2 and 5, the outer door is provided with an angled strap 42, the vertical flange of which is secured against the inner face of the door below the opening I8 thereof, the horizontal flange thereof extending inwardly and in substantial parallelism with the lip 22 of the inner door. Headed screws 43 normally carried by the horizontal strap flange may at the option of the box owner be unthreaded therefrom and rethreaded through the lip 22 and the horizontal strap flange 42, thereby to secure the inner door I! to the outer door l5, as indicated in Fig. 5. By such an arrangement, all access to the box is provided through the .main door [5 and the box may be maintained locked by the use of a padlock in the manner described.

As indicated in Fig. 5, the lower edge of the door opening 18 may be defined by a downwardly inclined lip 45 providing a minature shelf or platform on which mail may be slid during its insertion into the box through opening l8.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the present invention provides a rural mail box having a substantially weatherproof construction. Moreover the mail box as described provides box closing means of flexible use as to satisfy the desire or need of the particular owner and also includes simple and readily operable means capable of giving a signal either to the postman or to the box user that the box contains mail for collection.

As many changes could be 'made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

, A mail box construction comprising, in combination, a box having an open end inclined to the vertical to provide an overhanging top edge, and a door assembly for closing said open end including a main door pivotally secured to said box adjacent the bottom edge thereof, said main door having an opening therein, an inner door pivotally secured to the main door above said opening to close against the inner face of the main door, said main door in closed position being inclined to the vertical to correspond to the overhang of the box end, whereby the main door is biased for opening movement and said inner door is biased for closing movement.

JAMES D. BEGGS. 

